The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for a third time to allow physicians to virtually prescribe certain controlled medications, effective Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025.
Throughout that period, DEA-registered prescribers can prescribe schedule II-V controlled substances – including those approved by the Food and Drug Administration for maintenance and withdrawal management treatment of opioid use disorder – via audio-video telemedicine visits without having conducted an in-person medical evaluation of the patient. Without this extension, these telemedicine flexibilities were set to expire at the end of 2024.
DEA stated in its rulemaking that the one-year extension is intended to prevent lapses in care for patients who have come to rely on telemedicine for their prescriptions.
Moreover, the rule aims to provide DEA and HHS time to examine and finalize a set of telemedicine regulations with enough time for health care practitioners to come into compliance with any new requirements before the end of 2025.
The first and second temporary extensions similarly sought additional time for DEA to review the more than 38,000 comments it received from stakeholders, including the Texas Medical Association, and to ensure a “smooth transition” for patients and physicians that have come to rely on the availability of telemedicine for controlled medication prescriptions.
DEA stated in a Nov. 15 announcement that it and HHS will “continue to carefully consider the input received and are working to promulgate a final set of telemedicine regulations.”
Visit TMA’s telemedicine and prescribing web pages for information on telehealth and prescription changes after the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Last Updated On
November 25, 2024
Originally Published On
November 25, 2024
Alisa Pierce
Reporter, Division of Communications and Marketing
(512) 370-1469